Powerless
by the girl that isn't
Summary: Fourshot. Katie Bell has lost her magic; what will it take to get it back? Fluffy!
1. Running

**Chapter One: Running**

I brushed back a strand of my blonde hair that had fallen in front of my face as I ran. The alleyway was narrow and littered with trash, and rats scurried about by my feet, attracted to the stench like moths to a light. The brick walls whirred past me in a blur, and I didn't stop to examine the graffiti that covered them.

The wind picked up, and it caused my hair to lash violently back toward my face, the ends stinging the little skin with which they made contact. I shivered but did not stop. I kept running, glancing backwards to see if I was being followed, until I reached a dead end. There was a huge open dumpster, and it was exactly what I had been looking for. I leapt up into the air and landed inside the dumpster. Reaching upward, I pulled the lid down over me until I was in total darkness save for the thin slit of light that came through; I had left it open a crack to let in air.

Inside the dumpster, the smell was even worse. I remained silent, despite the fact that there were a few rats crawling all over me and clawing at my skin with their sharp nails. One of them managed to puncture the skin on my arm, and it was all I could do not to gasp in surprise as I felt a tiny trickle of blood seep out of the wound.

Listening intently, I heard approaching footsteps from somewhere in the distance. I peeked out through the crack and just barely made out the figure of a large, cloaked man. He had just turned into the alleyway. He looked around, craning his neck, and then seemed to decide that I wasn't there. He turned around and went a different way. I silently counted to one hundred before pushing the lid up from on top of me and climbing out.

I was covered in garbage and I felt like I would gag, even though I wasn't surrounded anymore. I wished I could just magic it away, but I knew I couldn't.

I was practically a Squib now.

Brushing off my clothing as best as I could, I slowly made my way back up the alley until I reached the side street that had led me into it. I looked around, hesitant, and then decided to go to the Hog's Head, the pub.

The Hog's Head, as always, was almost empty. I sat down at a table, catching my breath. I didn't know what to do. I was sure the Death Eater would eventually find me here. If only I could just Apparate out...

I heard someone approaching me and looked up. He stopped when he reached my table. I couldn't see his face, because he was wearing a cloak with the hood pulled over as far as it would go, but his body looked young and strong, with a broad build.

He spoke, and his voice, too, sounded young. I guessed that he was a few years older than my eighteen years. "What are you doing here? This isn't a place for young girls like you."

I looked up at him, trying to figure out who he was. His voice sounded vaguely familiar. "You're not so old yourself," I retorted.

He laughed. "Hello, Katie Bell."

My eyes widened in alarm. "How do you know my name? Who are you?" I strained my eyes, trying pointlessly to see, somehow, his face. I sank lower in my seat in the hopes that I would see up his hood from the opening at the bottom, but it was far too dark.

"Relax. You know who I am," he said.

I answered truthfully, "No." But the familiarity in his voice was a good one, not a bad one. I felt like I could trust him. I waited for a second, considering, then answered his first question. "I'm escaping from someone."

"Ah. May I inquire as to who this is?"

"A Death Eater. He was trying to kill me."

The person behind the hood was silent for a moment. I noticed that he seemed somewhat nervous. Then he said, "Where is he right now?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. Somewhere in Hogsmeade."

His face was not visible, of course, but his body seemed to jerk back in alarm. "Why don't you Apparate somewhere else?"

I just shook my head. He stood there for a while, as if trying to figure out what I meant by that. Finally, after realizing that he was waiting for me to answer, I admitted that I couldn't Apparate.

I could almost see him, whoever he was, narrowing his eyes. "You haven't passed your test?"

I shook my head. "No, I have."

He seemed confused. "Then why...?"

I lowered my eyes, averting my gaze. I didn't want him to see the tears gathering in them; I didn't even know who he was, or why I seemed to be trusting him. "He–the Death Eater–he killed my parents," I choked. I had meant it to come out smooth and dull, without showing my emotion, but I couldn't keep back the tears now. They fell freely from my green eyes and down my face, and I didn't bother to wipe them away. "They were in the Order, and so was I, and now...he wants to–to kill me too."

The hooded person said nothing.

I looked up at him, ashamed, the tears glistening on my pale skin. "My parents meant so much to me," I whispered. "I'm so weak...I can't stand being without them. I've lost my magic."

The person, whoever he was, reached over and brushed a tear away from my face. He came over to me and said, "I'll take you to safety."

And he held me tightly at his side and Disapparated.


	2. Unable

**Chapter Two: Unable**

I woke up. For a few confused moments, I tried to remember what had happened...the memories were distant, vague. But something important had happened. I groped around blindly for my wand before remembering that I couldn't do magic. And that was when I suddenly came back into complete consciousness and remembered the events of the previous evening.

I groaned. What had been wrong with me? I'd been so stupid! How could I have trusted a complete stranger like that? What had I been thinking? I could be such an idiot sometimes. So what if his voice was familiar? So what if I was pretty sure he was someone I'd known well and trusted? Anyone could go bad.

It was dark outside, but I was wide awake. I was still lying on the couch I'd been on when I'd woken. I must have fallen asleep, exhausted, as soon as he'd brought me here. I knew I needed to escape, though, get out of here as soon as possible. I glanced around and noticed the sleeping figure of somebody else on a second couch. It was the person with the hood. I'd have expected the hood to have slipped in his slumber, but it was still firmly pulled down over his face. He must have charmed it to stay in place.

I sprung up from the couch and instantly regretted doing so. I'd made too much noise. I squeezed my eyes tightly shut. When I opened them, the figure on the couch had sat up and was rubbing his eyes beneath the hood. "Katie. You're up."

I said nothing to him, but I cursed silently. Stupid, stupid girl. I wondered how he could see with that hood. He'd probably charmed the inside of it as well.

"Katie, you should stay here until that Death Eater's taken care of," he said quietly.

"Where am I?" I managed to say.

I heard the smile in his voice. "You're in my home. I'll be keeping an eye out for him. If he manages to figure out, somehow, that you're here, I'll take you somewhere else immediately."

I didn't know what to say. I only wondered why he was doing this for me.

"Now," he said, "I want you to try to do magic."

I looked up at him, startled. Was he trying to tease me? Hadn't I just told him the previous night that I couldn't do magic? He seemed to notice the hurt that must've been clearly written in my eyes, because he suddenly sounded uncomfortable. "I'm sorry," he muttered. "It's just...I'm positive you'll be able to do it."

I was silent. I was still hurt by his words, but he seemed truly sorry for offending me like that. And my suspicions from before were starting to seem like paranoia. I could tell that he sincerely wanted to help me.

I pulled out my wand from my back pocket–I still kept it there, even though I knew I couldn't do magic–and took a deep breath. "_Lumos_," I said clearly. I looked expectantly at the wand, but no light emitted from the other end. I sighed. "It's pointless."

He shook his head. "You _will_ be able to do it again. I'll make sure of that, Katie."

I stared at him, trying in vain to figure out whose face was hidden behind that hood. "Who _are_ you?"

"I'll tell you that when I'm ready," was all he said.

I frowned, and he chuckled. "Look, I've got to go now. Stay right here, alright?" With a twirl of his cloak, he was gone.

I immediately stood up. Whoever he was, he obviously didn't sleep on the couch. He had his own house, and from what I could see, it was fairly big. He had to have a bedroom.

I climbed upstairs, looking in all the bedrooms. I found his right away. It was the only bedroom being used–I could tell from the way the sheets were carelessly thrown aside, not neatly made like a bed never used. I could see the faint outlines on the wall where posters had hung before–faint, but definitely there. They had only just been torn down. Why did he want to hide his identity from me so badly?

I went back down and sat on the couch, wondering what I would do while I waited for Mystery Man to get back. I must have drifted off to sleep, because the next thing I knew, firm hands were grasping my arms, shaking me awake.

"Katie!" His rough voice broke into my sleep, and I sat up, rubbing my eyes. He continued, "Katie, I've got good news. No Death Eater has been near this house. He doesn't know you're here."

"How do you know?" I asked, feeling more awake.

He laughed. "A good old Muggle machine. It's called a video camera. Wizards are always looking for magic, so they wouldn't pay any attention to something like that."

I shrugged. It sounded reasonable.

"Anyway, you seem to be really tired. Do you want me to take you to a bed? You don't need to sleep on this couch, you know."

I yawned. "A bed would be nice." My muscles were all sore from sleeping in a cramped position. He got up and led me across the house to the stairs. We climbed up them and he took me into an empty bedroom, motioning for me to lie down on the bed.

"I'm the only one who lives here, of course, but I have several other beds just in case I ever have guests," he explained. I nodded, not really paying attention. The bed looked really comfortable, its soft pink sheets neat and fluffy. He laughed as I eagerly plopped down on top of it and closed my eyes, waiting for sleep to come.

* * *

><p>"Katie." My eyelids flicked open. I realized that I'd slept peacefully, without a single nightmare. That hadn't happened in a long time, not since my parents died. I didn't want to get out of the bed, but I knew I couldn't sleep forever.<p>

I struggled to prop myself up on the sheets. He was sitting at the edge of the bed, watching me. I rubbed the sand from my eyes and felt myself blush. I had never liked people being awake in the same room while I slept.

He had removed the shirt he'd previously been wearing underneath his cloak, and he now had on a tight-fitting white undershirt. I could see the shape of his chest and couldn't help wanting to stare at it. My blush deepened as I tore my gaze away and looked up at his hooded face.

"The Death Eater hasn't found you," he said. "No one knows you're here. You're quite safe for now."

I smiled, and he chuckled. "You know, that's the first I've seen you smile this whole time," he told me. I was surprised to find myself smiling wider. He was right, I'd been miserable this past week. My parents' death had really affected me strongly. But now _he_ was making me smile. I didn't even know who he was, but I trusted him.

I extracted my wand. Smiling had been an accomplishment. Maybe I could do some magic now. "Can I try again?" I asked him.

"Hey, you could do whatever you want. You don't need my permission."

I nodded as I tried to think of a simple spell. I decided on a levitating one and pointed my wand at one of the pillows behind me. "_Wingardium Leviosa!_" I said. A few sparks shot out of my wand, but the pillow didn't move.

I looked up at him and shrugged. "I'm sorry," he said softly.

I shook my head. "There's no need for you to be sorry. You can't control my magic. You've done more than enough already." _Way_ more than enough.

"But I want to help you more, Katie. I just...I really want you to be able to do magic."

When he said those last words, there was a sudden flash of something in his voice.

"What did you say?" I asked him.

"I said I want to help you more–" he started to reply, but I interrupted him.

"No, after that."

He frowned. "Er...I really want you to be able to do magic."

It was gone. His voice was as smooth there as everywhere else. Yet now I was sure I had heard it. A hint of something foreign. And if it hadn't been there the second time, it must've been a slip.

Could he be faking an English accent?


	3. Discovered

**Chapter Three: Discovered**

The next few days were spent in his house, alternating between sleeping, eating, and trying to do more magic. My power seemed to be slowly returning, and he said he thought it must be that I was recovering as more time passed by. I knew it wasn't time, though. The only reason my magic was improving was because that horrible feeling of sadness had been getting smaller and smaller. And I knew, though I didn't want to admit it to myself, that it was because of him.

I had never really been into boys. I had never even had a boyfriend. It wasn't really that I was ugly or anything; many people have, in fact, complimented me on my appearance. I'd just never really gotten to know many boys, and I didn't have feelings for the ones I had gotten to know. This one I met without having any idea who he was, and suddenly I was experiencing something I had never experienced before.

But I knew who he was now, though, so when he decided to tell me, I wasn't surprised when I was right.

"I think I've hidden my identity from you long enough, Katie," he said, after I had been there for four days, "and I don't think it's fair for me to keep you in the dark for so long."

I laughed. "Oh, I haven't been in the dark," I assured him. "I know who you are, _Oliver_. I just don't know why you didn't show yourself to me from the start."

Oliver reached upward and finally removed his hood, revealing a face I hadn't seen since I was fifteen, except on ads and magazine covers. He spoke in his natural Scottish accent: "I only didn't tell you who I was because I was afraid you'd run away from me as soon as you found out. How did you know?"

I grinned. "Your accent. I must say, your English one was pretty good, and it had me fooled for some time. But it wasn't flawless."

He smiled. It was even better-looking in person than it was in those Quidditch magazine articles. _I can't believe I just thought that!_ I pushed thoughts of his smile away and said, "Why would I run away from you?"

He looked slightly sheepish. "You know, the whole Quidditch thing. You guys always used to complain about my practices being too early and too long."

Well, that was true. He woke us up in the early morning, sometimes when it was still dark outside. He'd make us practice for hours on end, he was so determined to win the Cup.

"Speaking of Quidditch," I said, "shouldn't you be going to practice? That is, after all, where you've been going every day that I've been here."

He winced. "Yeah, it is. And you're right, I should go now before my Captain yells at me for being late." He took one last look at me before Disapparating.

I got up from the living room couch and headed for the coffee table in the middle. I carefully pushed it away and pulled aside the carpet to reveal a stack of magazines hidden beneath it, charmed to leave no bump as a clue to its existence. Since he didn't want me to know who he was, Oliver had hidden his Quidditch magazines here. I had found it the day before, and it had confirmed my suspicions as to who he was.

Now I looked through the pictures for one of Oliver. It wasn't hard to find one. Commonly known as one of the best-looking Quidditch players, Oliver played Keeper for Puddlemere United, and he was very talented. His looks and his skills earned him many articles in various Quidditch magazines.

And, alone, I was now free to examine him for as long as I wanted to.

His smile was beautiful, his hair was perfectly messy, and when he waved at me, his hand was nice and rough. But the picture did him injustice. When he looked at me in real life, there was a warm twinkle in his eyes. In the picture, it could have been anyone's eyes looking up at me.

There was a knock on the door. I knew enough not to answer it. Oliver wasn't home, and if I hadn't been here, which I wasn't supposed to, no one would have answered. So I stayed where I was. But then I heard the doorknob turn and almost gasped. As the door creaked open, I looked around frantically for a place to hide, but I was too late. The girl at the door spotted me, and her eyebrows shot upward in surprise.

"Wh-who are you?" she exclaimed.

I jumped up, ran forward, and grabbed her shoulders.

"I'm not here, okay?" I said, panicked. "Forget you ever saw me!"

Her eyes grew wide in fear. I realized that the way I had acted was probably the stupidest thing I could possibly have done. Now she knew I wasn't supposed to be here.

I softened my tone. "I'm sorry. I just...I can't be found out, alright? Or I'll be killed. So please, whoever you are, tell no one I'm here."

She nodded, still frightened, and left the house. She had come to deliver a package to Oliver, some gift for him, which she left on the doormat.

When Oliver got home, I told him what had happened. He cursed under his breath. "Katie, you've got to move somewhere else," he told me.

"Why?" I asked. "Who was that girl? I told her not to tell anyone, and she seemed innocent..." My voice trailed off at his furious look.

"Katie, you can never trust anyone these days! I know who that was. I saw the signature on the gift she gave me. That girl was a girl I went out with once.. I know what she's like. If she was hurt, she would tell where you are. She's shallow, Katie, she wouldn't care about you." Oliver looked terribly frustrated.  
>"What about you, Oliver? How come I can trust you, then?"<p>

He sighed. "I couldn't let you suffer. I could not let you get killed, ever. You're my responsibility now, and I would hate myself for the rest of my life if something happened to you.

"Now I'm going to Apparate to somewhere else, somewhere safe, and I'll bring you along. I will not be able to visit you again, because if that girl tells, the Death Eaters will be able to easily track me. I'm a famous Quidditch player, after all," he added with a sad smile.

I nodded silently. I wished there was another option, but I realized that he was probably right.


	4. Safe

**Chapter Four: Safe**

He took me to his parents' house. They were amazing. They took care of my every need, never complaining about the burden their son had handed over to them. They were kind and loving, always trying to please me. But the old knot in my stomach was tightening again. I hadn't seen Oliver in days, and he had been my cure. Now that he was gone, my one source of happiness was, too. And my magic got weaker with each passing hour.

It was no one's fault but my own. I should have hidden myself as soon as I heard that knock. But I needed someone to blame, and so I developed a hatred for the girl. She hadn't done anything wrong. Yet I still hated her for opening that door – and for spending a night with Oliver, something I'd guessed from the tone of his voice when he'd spoken of her.

I kept my feelings to myself. There was no way I would ever tell anyone my feelings about Oliver Wood, certainly not his own parents. I hadn't been able to admit them to myself at first. Now, however, I simply accepted them, knowing that I would never be able to do anything about it. Oliver was famous. He could have any girl he wanted. He wouldn't take someone like me.

Still, I found my thoughts turning to him more and more often. I took to wandering around his parents' house and finding pictures of him. I would just stand there and look at him, smiling up at me, either by himself or along with his parents.

On one such occasion, his mother silently came up behind me.

"What do you think of him?" she asked me.

I whirled around and blushed, embarrassed to be caught staring at a picture of her son, even though she didn't know how I felt about him.

"He's very...kind," I mumbled. Then, more strongly, I added, "He helped me when I really needed it, and I don't know why. We weren't close at school or anything. We had nothing to do with each other except for Quidditch, so it was really nice of him to take me in."

Oliver's mother smiled. "He's told us a lot about his Hogwarts Quidditch team, so we know a bit about you. He said you're very talented. Of course, he said the whole team was talented, but I'm sure that's because it's true."

I felt myself redden even more. "Oh," was all I could manage.

She smiled and strode off, leaving me somewhat confused.

The serenity I had at the Woods didn't last forever. On my fifth day at their house, a silver hawk arrived with a message.

"The Death Eater has found her," the Patronus said, speaking in Oliver's voice. "He's probably on his way here. If he tortures me, I don't think I'd tell where she is, but I can't take chances. Please take her somewhere safe and don't let me know where."

I gasped. I felt Mrs. Wood grip my arm. "I'm taking her," she told her husband. "I won't tell you where for your safety, and I think it's best if I don't come back."

She Disapparated, and I felt the familiar sense of compression. I couldn't let her do this, though. I was the one who caused them all this trouble. I wasn't going to run and hide when Oliver was in danger, not after what he had done for me. And I couldn't stand the thought of him getting hurt.

As soon as we came to our destination, I whirled on the spot and disappeared. I heard Oliver's mother shout my name and grab at my cloak, but I was gone before she could stop me. I focused all my thoughts on Oliver's house. I landed on solid ground and immediately felt sharp pains on my foot. I looked down and saw blood staining my socks. I must have splinched myself. I was surprised I had been able to Apparate at all.

There was a sudden scream, and I forgot about my bleeding foot. _Oliver._ I ran to the front door and yanked it open. At the far side of the room, a black robed figure was standing over Oliver, wand pointed at him. Oliver was lying on the ground, trembling, but he tried to make his voice sound calm as he spoke.

"Torturing me won't help. I won't tell you where she is."

The Death Eater laughed. "You only say that. You have not felt true pain yet. _Crucio!_"

Oliver screamed, and I screamed too. Both men noticed me at the same time. The Death Eater dropped his wand as he turned to look at me. Oliver sat up, gasping, and stared at me, shaking his head. He looked horrified.

"_Avada Kedavra!_" shouted the Death Eater. I ducked, and the spell flew over my head and blasted a hole in the wall.

"_Stupefy!_ I shot back at him. Nothing happened. I may have been desperate enough to be able to Apparate that one time, but I still couldn't do magic. I was forced to keep dodging his Killing Curses. Oliver tried to help me by shooting some jinxes at the Death Eater himself, but he was weakened from the Cruciatus Curse, and the Death Eater easily avoided the ones that worked.

Green streaks of light kept coming at me. I dodged them like I dodged Bludgers, but I was terrified one would hit me and that would be the end. I did not have to worry. Miraculously, one of the spells he shot hit a mirror. Time seemed to slow as I watched it bounce off and slam into the Death Eater, who had not been expecting anything to come back at him, sensing that neither of us could do proper magic.

I stared and gasped as the Death Eater fell. He hit the ground with a loud thump.

There was complete silence. Then Oliver grinned.

"Katie, he's gone, he's gone!" he yelled. All traces of weakness seemed to disappear as he jumped up and hugged me tightly. I stood limp in his arms, still shocked.

"He's dead, you're safe, you're alright, it's okay," Oliver reassured me. Finally, I smiled, too, and then I laughed.

Now that the shock had gone, I suddenly felt happier than I could ever remember feeling. Before I knew what I was doing, I reached upward, pulled his face toward mine, and kissed him.

For the first few seconds, he didn't do anything. Then he responded, and I was so surprised that I almost stopped kissing him. I couldn't believe that I was doing this, and that he was returning it. But no, Oliver had probably kissed a billion girls before. This didn't mean anything. I broke away from him.

"What was that about, Katie?" Oliver asked me.

I shook my head ever so slightly. "I'm sorry. I..." I looked up at him, embarrassed. "I know you don't feel the same way, and I shouldn't have done that. It's just...I've never felt like this before. I didn't have feelings for you when we were in school, but now I do, and..." I blushed, unable to finish talking.

"Well, I liked you even when we were in school, Katie," he said quietly, and then his lips caught mine and we were kissing again. I now knew why he had protected me when I had been in danger. As he kissed me more deeply, I responded in an equally passionate manner, and it was hard to believe that it was even possible to feel this good.

When we broke apart again, I smiled again. "I think..." I left the sentence hanging and reached for my wand. "Lumos," I said softly. A strong, brilliant light appeared at the tip of my wand, a radiance that reflected exactly how I was feeling inside.

For, unseen by the world, my heart was aglow as well.


End file.
